Carrier and discharging system for hangers

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for carrying and unloading hangers from a first conveyor to a second conveyor including a carrier mounted on the first conveyor so that a hanger hook can be mounted on the carrier, the carrier including a disc having a normally upper surface eccentrically and swingably mounted with respect to the first conveyor, the normally upper surface of the disc including a groove for the hanger hook, and a wedge mounted adjacent to the first conveyor whereby when the carrier passes adjacent to the wedge, the carrier is caused to swing upwardly displacing the normally upper surface of the disc downwardly and causing the hanger hook to fall out of the groove so that it can be transferred to the second conveyor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carrier and an unloading system forclothes hangers which are intended to be transported from a firstrunning conveyor to a second running conveyor. The present inventionmore particularly relates to such conveyors which are commonly used in,for example, laundries where the garments are hung up on clothes hangersat a hanging station and are then moved up to a main conveyor to whichthe clothes hangers with the garments are transferred for furthertransport and treatment. These garments are normally hung in a hangingstation at a height adapted for a human being, and are thereaftertransported up to a higher level for further transport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hanging station of the type described above is disclosed, for example,in European Patent No. 0,566,553. This hanging station, which can beregulated in height according to the height of the operator, comprisesan endless chain having a number of carriers on which the clotheshangers are hung up automatically. These carriers are made in the formof a pin which is mounted in the conveyor chain and which has head orflange on the free end thereof. The hangers are usually fedautomatically into the hanging station where they are hung up one by oneon separate carriers, whereupon the garments are hung upon the emptyhangers at a certain level. After hanging the garments on the hangersthe conveyor, which has been stopped at the hanging station, is againstarted and moves the hanger with the garment, usually upwards to a mainconveyor. To ensure that the hanger is transferred to the new conveyor,some transferring mechanism, for example in the form of a wedge, hasbeen arranged which forces the hanger hook over the free end of the pinwhere the head of the flange is located, and from there the hanger fallsdown onto a new transport track.

The carriers according to the prior art as described above are rigidlyanchored on the conveyor chain and the hanger hooks must, as mentionedabove, be forced over the flange or the head to be removed. This meansthat both the hangers, and more particularly the supporting carrier, aresubjected to very heavy wear. This is particularly the case with theflange or the head on the pin-shaped carrier. This may lead to theflange or head decreasing so much that they no longer safely prevent thehanger hook from unintentionally sliding over this hindrance and fallingdown. It is therefore necessary to repair or exchange these carriersfrom time to time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, this and other problems havebeen overcome by the discovery of apparatus for carrying and unloadinghangers from a first movable conveyor to a second movable conveyorcomprising a carrier mounted with respect to the first movable conveyor,whereby a hanger hook can be mounted on the carrier, the carriercomprising a disc having a normally upper surface eccentrically andswingably mounted with respect to the first movable conveyor, thenormally upper surface of the disc including a groove for the hangerhook, and a wedge mounted adjacent to the first movable conveyor,whereby when the carrier passes adjacent to the wedge the carrier iscaused to swing upwardly displacing the normally upper surface of thedisc downwardly and causing the hanger hook to fall out of the groove sothat it can be transferred to the second movable conveyor. Preferablythe groove comprises an arc-shaped groove.

In accordance with one embodiment of the apparatus of the presentinvention, the disc comprises a first disc and the carrier includes asecond disc joined to the first disc, the second disc being larger thanthe first disc and being suspended from the first movable conveyor andthe first disc including the groove for the hanger hook. In a preferredembodiment, the first movable conveyor comprises a conveyor chain, andthe second disc is suspended from the conveyor chain.

In order to solve the above problems, a carrier and unloading system forclothes hangers has been invented, which is intended to be transportedhanging in the hanger hook from the first running conveyor and to betransferred to a second running conveyor, in which system the carrier onwhich the hanger hook is intended to hang in the first conveyor consistsof a preferably circular disc which is eccentrically and swingablysuspended from the conveyor in a plane parallel with the conveyor band(chain) and which on its upper side is provided with an arc-shapedgroove for the hanger hook, and an unloading wedge arranged close to thetrack which, when the carrier passes it, swings the carrier up so thatthe hanger falls out of the groove.

According to the present invention, it is suitable that the carrier discconsists of two joined discs of different size wherein the larger one isswingably suspended in the transport band (chain) and the smaller one isprovided with the groove for the hanger hook.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be described in more detail in the followingdetailed description, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side, elevational, partial view of a conveyor with carriers,with a hanger hook shown in phantom therein;

FIG. 2 is a rear, elevational, partially sectional view through theconveyor in the direction of movement thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a side, elevational, partial view of a carrier without ahanger hook and a portion of the conveyor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the Figures, in which like reference numerals refer to likeelements thereof, FIG. 1 shows an upwardly feeding rail 1, which couldbe a horizontal or downwardly sloping rail, in which a conveyor chain 2is arranged. For the sake of simplicity, this conveyor chain 2 is onlypartially shown. Instead of a chain 2, a band or the like may bearranged. Furthermore, the track 1 does not need to be constructed inthe precise manner shown.

On the chain 2 carriers 3 are suspended. Two of these carriers are shownin the drawing and the lower one in the drawing, as is shown in phantomview, has been provided with a hanger hook. The carriers 3 are in thiscase disc shaped and circular. They may, however, have some other form,for example oval, but a circular disc-shaped design is preferred.

The carrier 3 is swingably suspended on a shaft 5 which is eccentricallyarranged such that the carrier 3 hangs downwardly from it.

The other carrier 3 which is shown in the figure has reached a higherlevel on the rail 1 where it meets an unloading wedge 6. This unloadingwedge 6, which has an oblique upper surface 7 against which the carrier3 will slide, forces the carrier 3 to an upwardly swung position, asshown in the Figure. The hanger hook 4 will then come out of its grooveand fall downwardly onto another unloading arrangement 8 which is thefirst step on the second running conveyor. The unloading arrangement 8and the second conveyor are of a conventional type, and will thereforenot be described in more detail here.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the track 1 with mounted carriers3. As appears from this Figure the carrier 3 is composed of two discs, 9and 10, which are rigidly screwed together. The arc-formed groove 11 forthe hanger hook 4 is, as appears from the Figure arranged on the upperside of the disc 10. When this disc is turned up, the hanger hook 4 willslide out from its groove and over to the smooth surface of the disc 10and will fall down therefrom. The smooth portion of the surface of thedisc 10 may be made somewhat sloping so that the hanger hook 4 falls offmore easily. It is also not necessary that the disc 10 consist of anactual disc. Instead, it can be somewhat thicker and have a conicalnarrowing shape outwardly in the form of some kind of a stud. It is mostpractical, however, not to have any protruding element on the carrier 3.

In FIG. 3 a list 12 is also shown which lies near the carrier 3. Thislist is preferably made of plastic having a low friction surface, sincethe carrier must slide against it and be supported by the list.

FIG. 3 shows the same arrangement as in FIG. 2, but in this case as seenfrom the side. The reference numerals which are present in FIG. 3 referto the same elements as in FIG. 2.

By means of the present invention a carrier and unloading system, whichis simple, economically advantageous and above all safely operable sinceit is not subjected to any substantial wear, has been brought about.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that otherarrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for carrying and transferring hangersfrom a first movable conveyor to a second movable conveyor comprising acarrier mounted with respect to said first movable conveyor, saidcarrier comprising a disc having a normally upper surface eccentricallyand swingably mounted with respect to said first movable conveyor, saidnormally upper surface of said disc including a groove adapted forreceiving hanger hook, and a wedge mounted adjacent to said firstmovable conveyor, wherein when said carrier engaged on passes adjacentto said wedge said carrier is caused to swing upwardly displacing saidnormally upper surface of said disc downwardly and causing said hangerhook to fall out of said groove thereby transferring said hanger hook tosaid second movable conveyor.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidgroove comprises an arc-shaped groove.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein said disc comprises a first disc and wherein said carrierincludes a second disc joined to said first disc, said second disc beinglarger than said first disc and being suspended from said first movableconveyor and said first disc including said groove for said hanger hook.4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first movable conveyorcomprises a conveyor chain, and wherein said second disc is suspendedfrom said conveyor chain.